An Epic Soundtrack for an Ordinary Day

From the moment my electronic music started pulsing into my ears this morning, I knew that today would be a day with a soundtrack.

I left the house in slow motion and crossed the street like the fate of the world rested on my ability to avoid a gruesome death by speeding heavy machinery. I bought coffee and held the warm cup in my hands as though it contained much more than just caffeine and sugar, but rather some mysterious and steaming elixir of life.

I tapped my foot and rocked my shoulders in rhythm as I stood by the side of the road, waiting for the oldest taxi driver I could find who would surely not have the time or energy to rob me. This ordinary game took on a new life as I let the music tell me which car to chose. Loud ominous thumping sounds= no. Happy, floating trance-inducing melody= this is the viejito for me.

Knowing that there was nowhere else in the world I was supposed to be and no task more important than that which lay before me, I asked the taxi driver to drop me off at the Peruvian National Archaeological Museum. Three thousand years of history to learn and only forty-six songs left on my electronica playlist!

I bounced my way casually through the Wari Empire and air-drummed through the tragic tale of Incan civilization. I met a Chimu king. The sparkle of his armor caught my eye from across the room and immediately the music began to pick up pace. I approached him, his presence overwhelming like a thick humidity. The music slowed for just long enough for him to tell me that all of the contents of this museum, the art and the pots and the jewelry and the statues, were remnants of mankind’s ceaseless attempt to capture life in something tangible, but that the greatest gift left by bygone generations would never be displayed behind glass as it was still alive today. Convinced whatever cleaning solution they used on his display case had rendered him a little nutty, and aware that the music would not allow me time to stay and chat about his centuries of wisdom, I nodded politely, began clapping my hands against my thighs, and moved on.

Later I met up with a friend. We were both listening to music. The left earpiece was removed. Eyes met and smiles appeared. Electrónica? Electrónica. Deep dish? Deep dish! Friendships are cemented in moments like this. You grin and you gaze, immobilized by the shock and the joy for just long enough for the cement to dry, and before you even remember to blink you’ve attached another human being to your soul. We each replaced the left earpiece, aware that words were no longer necessary as we retreated together into a world that no one else but us could hear. And then, side-by-side, we tapped out hands into the air, bounced a little with every step, and danced our way into the setting sun.

If only everyday would have a song for my heartbeat to follow. If only everyday could be so epic. Then again, maybe it is.